"Then and Now" - Day 1 and Day 2
#1 of Then and Now
As this is my first ever submission of a fur story, I have decided to post twice as much as I would do under normal circumstances. I hope that gives everyone a good taste of what they're reading. If you find any mistakes, please point them out so I can correct them. Constructive criticism is GREATLY appreciated, and please give your personal opinion on the text. It's important to me to know that what I write is at least readable.
"Then and Now"
Friday, 18th October 2010
Chapter 1
As I walked idly down the hospital corridor, its white walls illuminated by fluorescent lights overhead, I kept thinking about my life. Was I successful? I guess. A steady income, with a lot left over for almost anything I could want. A good job, with friends who I could trust. A job where I helped people.
I received letters of thanks several times, many presents and have even been invited to spend Christmas with a family - not my own, mind you. I just happened to have saved the father of the family after he got a heavy cut on his leg, opening his popliteal vein, on the back of the knee. I was at the scene then, a hunter's gathering, talking to a friend of mine.
There was no time to get to the hospital and the on-scene paramedics were away dealing with a shooting accident. Acting upon instinct, I raced over to the fallen hunter, yanking off my scarf in the process. I ordered the hunters around me to go find paramedics, keeping one of them behind to help me put pressure on the injured man's leg.
To my surprise, it was ten minutes before a man in a reflector jacket showed up, his face as red from running as the crosses on his shoulders. We managed to save the hunter's leg and his life. He had been one of my patients since then.
But for me? No. It felt like something was missing from my life. Not a woman, God no. I'd been with enough gals to understand that a very small amount of them are attracted to a roughly-shaven man in his thirties with faded blue eyes and a complexion that seemed to have left his face around the age of nineteen. I looked like a drunk - which I certainly am not. Although a pack of Malboros always stays tucked away in the drawers of my desks, both at work and at home.
I never was a heavy smoker - a pack a month was enough, supplemented by nicotine patches and nicotine mints. Smoking only happened after a particularly intense battle to save a patient's life, after my heart had finished its jackhammer thudding and the sweat was gone from my forehead.
Ever since smoking had been banned in public buildings I was forced to leave the comfort and relative safety of my office and go outside, whether hail, sleet, snow or rain was falling. It annoyed me something fierce, but rules are rules, and the smell of tobacco has a bad effect on people when they visit my office. "A doctor smoking? What a hypocrite! He's killing himself with that filth!" Etcetera, etcetera.
The constant sound of the sirens as ambulances approached the offload point nearly drove me to quitting, but I learned to live with it.
As for my fellow hospital staff, they either didn't mind or didn't want to annoy me. It wasn't a secret that I had an outstanding record as a medical practitioner (much less than I can say for my personality), and to cross me was to lose whatever opportunity one had at being on my good side - meaning no shouting, a soft tone and the willingness to oblige when you needed help with anything in my field of work.
One smart-ass ferret fur left the hospital in a transfer due to my single, yet fiery, outburst. A young, ambitious and arrogant squint who followed me around trying to correct my methods with brand new 'medically proven' horse-muck which he likely learned in some third-rate college while partying and getting drunk with girls wearing tube-skirts that barely covered their buttocks. I withstood his barrage of crap for well over three weeks, then snapped at his comment on my lack of pride as a doctor - it stemmed from him seeing me smoke after I lost a ten-year-old human girl to a cracked skull sustained from trying to perform bicycle stunts.
I suspect that half the hospital was awakened by my raspy yet powerful voice, yelling the brat down to his place as a kid on work experience in the shadow of an experienced life-saver.
After that confrontation, nobody mentioned my smoking. They never even said that my coat smelled like smoke - which I could sense by myself.
Smoking is another thing that makes women run for the hills - fur or otherwise. Often have I been told, by my befriended secretary, of young women mentioning their affection for me. "If only he didn't smoke." They'd say. If only they understood the stress I faced every single working day.
I forgot to mention my name, didn't I? I don't get asked if often. The metal pin on my chest pocket says everything a patient needs to know. Hello, my name is ... and I'm here to stop death from curling its bony hands around you.
I'm Richard Hendrick, and I'm the man that stands between you and the Reaper.
Chapter 2
"Good morning, Richard." Judy beamed. 8am and already as cheery as a lottery-winner. As always.
"Morning." I muttered, saying the word in between gulps of coffee. I hated the vile concoction, but it was like medicine. It got me out of bed in the morning and all the way to the hospital, where falling asleep would mean someone bashing down my door and shouting that some moron's sliced his fingers off while playing with a knife. Oh, yeah, that happens.
"There's a message from Jo for you." She said, stopping me in my tracks. Jo, the hospital manager, the homicidal bitch out to get my blood. I swear, if a door closes behind me, I can tell she's there with a scalpel, just waiting for the time to strike. You might ask what I did to incite such hatred from the woman. Truth be told, I'm more intelligent than she is. And she happens to be able to rub her high and mighty, lick-my-boots position on someone who works for her.
"Does it say I should go shoot myself with the revolver she left on my office desk?" I asked, turning. Vivid blue eyes peered at me from behind a vulpine muzzle. Judy's hair was curled, adding some ten centimetres of height to her head, with fox ears sticking out above it. Extended eyelashes, painted claws, and bodily fur smoothed down. And thin as a playboy model. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was trying to make patients die by asphyxiation.
Judy uttered a short but sweet giggle. My barrier of morning grogginess stopped the sweetness from changing my mood. "No, it's saying that someone's here to see you. Asked for you personally."
Asked for me? It must have been a cold day in hell. Hey-ho, the devil's come to visit and smoke a cigarette with me.
"Did they happen to mention their name?" I glanced at today's staff rotor. Twelve nurses, four doctors (Including me) and three ambulances. Not understaffed, but not perfect either. If there's no bombings in downtown New York, we should scrape by.
"Oh, no. She didn't. Just said she's a good friend from the past."
She? Even better. But who said that the devil had to be a man?
"Okay." I started to walk away, then forced myself to perform a gesture of common courtesy. I stopped, turned, put on the most convincing smile I could, and said; "Thanks, Judy."
Judy beamed once more, smiling so wide you'd think she was the Joker, minus the makeup.
As I opened the door to my office, the whiff of Camel cigarettes hit me. I hated that brand. The cigs tasted awful and the smoke was like Mustard Gas. Some fresh air was circulating around the room, so I guessed the smoker had the mind to open a window - but that didn't excuse smoking in my office.
"You ought to know that smoking in hospitals is illegal." I said, putting my briefcase down next to the door, followed by a quick unzipping of my jacket.
"Laws are for sissies. Or have you forgotten, Richie?" The woman said. Something in her voice made me freeze. I guess my heart knew who the person was and failed to inform my struggling mind.
"Just who the hell are you?" I finally said, shutting the door. When I turned, I witnessed a sight unheard of. A wolf fur in her late twenties, her upper torso squeezed tight by a leather biking jacket. Heavy duty leather trousers with knee padding hung down her waist, mostly covering a pair of black boots. A scruff of red was held together by a bobble on the back of her head, although it hung down over her shoulder and down her front. Her posture was that of someone highly intelligent - lupine expressions are often a little difficult to read but it was obvious to me that she was a smart one. This may sound strange, but her light gray ears and puffy, silky tail reminded me of someone I knew a while back.
"Aww, still can't remember poor old me?" The fur slid off my desk and approached, the cigarette held in her hand. She got so close I could smell the exhaust fumes on her jacket. A biker, if I'd ever seen one.
"I wouldn't say old, but bikers aren't exactly known for their wealth. Biker chicks, for that matter." I passed around her, evading the strange move, and got behind my desk. It acted like a barrier from the horrors that came slithering into my office. "Now, answer my question, who are you?"
"Take a guess."
"Spare me your incessant games! I have work to do, unlike you." I snapped.
"Whoa, Richard, is that any way to talk to your ex-girlfriend?"
My brain slapped itself. Of course. Leanne. The only girl I ever got intimate with. Our relationship went pretty well, too, until she decided that I wasn't man enough and not paying enough attention to her. She said that I loved work more than her. Look how that turned out.
"Right now I'm being polite and you do not want to see me mad. Now what do you want, Leanne? I'm sure as hell you're not here to wrap your legs around me, seeing as you have your biker buddies to please you any time you like." I was referring to the Hell's Angels insignia on the back of her jacket. Doctors need to be able to gather even the most minute detail in a short space of time to diagnose a dying patient. A big skull on her back wasn't exactly discreet.
"You got real mean real fast." She remarked.
"Yeah, well, you happened to play a part in that transition."
For the first time, Leanne looked genuinely hurt. Her ears went from perking on her head to looking almost sad. I sat down in my comfy chair. She sat in the one opposite me and put out the cigarette.
"I need to ask you a favour, Rich."
"You want a favour from me?"
"Yes."
"What kind?"
"The one that you can only ask a friend."
I laughed. "You think I'm your friend? Just how naive are you?"
"Cut the asshole routine, Rich? I know I hurt you in the past, and I seriously regret that. I'm trying to find something else to do than to ride around with a herd of hairy apes."
"Why?"
She paused, as if to think it over. Then; "I got bored of it."
"Judging by your early escape from Uni, you probably don't have many options."
Officially, my shift began at 9am, but anything could happen in the time space of an hour. I really needed to get rid of this troublesome wolf.
"That's the problem - nobody wants an ex-biker chick that smokes and has no qualifications in modern society."
"So you want me to find you a job?"
"Basically."
"You're a hell of a girl, y'know? Dump a guy, then show up out of the blue years later asking him a favour." I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my stubbly cheek. I gave the impression of refusal, but inside I was searching through the different people I knew to find the right job for Leanne. "And you haven't even said 'please'."
She was taken aback. Not a word was uttered.
"I've got some theories as to why you dumped me in the first place, but I'm completely in the dark about why you left the University."
"I was young and stupid." She admitted, albeit quietly.
"Appropriate wording." I sighed. "I have a friend by the name of Al, a bear fur, he owns a diner down the street which I visit twice a week. Needs a waitress. And the pay isn't lousy. How's that sound?"
A smile appeared on one side of her muzzle, revealing pearly fangs. "And I thought you'd go ballistic. Sitting here, I thought this was a stupid idea."
"It was." I said, pulling the mobile phone from my pocket. Al's name happened to be at the top of the list.
I heard two rings, then a cheerful, booming voice came on the line.
"This is Al." It proclaimed.
"Hey Al. It's Richard."
"Richie! What can this old bear do for ya?"
"Roll over and give me his kidneys." I joked. Leanne raised an eyebrow.
"'fraid I sold mine to the Black Market for a stove."
"Shame. More to the point: I have a friend here who needs a job, and I'm sure she'd do a splendid job as a waitress."
"What is she on the 1 to 10 scale of hotness?"
I'm certain Leanne heard that. She even laughed quietly.
"I'd give her a seven."
"It'll do. Send her right over and I'll suit her up. She has paperwork, I hope?"
I covered the mouthpiece of the phone. "Do you have paperwork?"
"Yeah, passports, certificates, the whole thing." Leanne nodded.
"Yeah, she does." I told Al.
"Well, I'll see her in a few minutes. Ta." Al disconnected.
I put my phone on the desk and looked at Leanne.
"I don't know what to say." She was smiling more now. I went back to being me.
"Nothing. Just remember this: You made me hurt and I did you a favour. Think about that the next time you consider leaving a man." I gestured to the door. "My fuse is running out. You'd better leave before I start showing my anger."
She did.
Chapter 3
After Leanne was gone, I let my head drop with a thud on the desk. My temper fizzled out as I sat there, eyes closed. My father taught me to hold that mentality. That doing a generous deed to someone who has crossed me will make them feel worse than an all-out screaming fest to insult them. And I guess it worked.
Not ten minutes after my head hit the desk, Judy was at the door. She poked her head and upper torso into my office. When I looked up, I noticed the amount of cleavage exposed was more than normal, but dismissed it - with her chest size, gravity could be an issue.
"Richard. You're needed." She said. I dragged myself out of the chair. "Christ, are you okay?"
"Had a bit of a confrontation, but I'll live."
I pulled the white overcoat from my coat hanger as I jogged out of the office after Judy.
The patient was a man in his late forties, clean shaven with a well-groomed moustache. Long silvery hair stuck out from under his baseball cap. He looked shaken, but his face wasn't pale and his breathing was normal. A paramedic held a gauze to his neck, although a single streak of blood was visible going down into his dark green shirt.
"Dang. You look like you've been through hell, Doc. Sure it's not you who should be on the stretcher?" The oldie chortled. Good. Laughter meant that he was calm. That made my job a lot easier.
"Pretty much." I stood close to the man, putting my hand on the gauze, and gestured for the paramedic to leave. "So, what's hurting?"
"My back, my head, my legs, my fingers. A lotta stuff." Still he joked. I managed a chuckle.
"Really, though."
"Well, I was out on a hunting trip with some buddies. We were doing well, even managed to take down a big buck. Then, out of nowhere, this fox jumps me. It sinks its teeth into my neck."
"I don't think hunting is as ethical as it used to be, with the furs walking around and all."
"They just look like animals - still humans under that fur. But I take your point."
I lifted the gauze, making the man wince. There were several thin punctures in his skin, but luckily none had pierced his jugular. The flesh around the punctures was reddened, but no immediate signs of infection showed.
"My friend grabbed the little bastard by the jaws and pried them open, then threw the fox into a tree. The crack its spine made as it hit the trunk was clear as day, but somehow it managed to stand on its front paws. Its hind was mashed, but that didn't stop it."
I found a capsule of morphine tablets and asked him to swallow one pill. He complied readily and emptied the plastic cup of water I gave him.
"Under that kind of trauma, the fox shouldn't have been able to move." I said, while readying a needle containing an anti-rabies shot.
"Exactly. Out of anger, I raised my rifle and shot the critter in the head. That killed it for sure."
I injected him with the shot. After the needle was back out of his arm, he took a breath. "Christ, I hate needles. Brrr."
I smiled.
"Well, alright. You won't need stitches and none of your major arteries have been pierced. I'll bandage you up and you'll be able to go home." Raising a finger. "But no more hunting. At least for a week. Best if you stop doing it altogether before a bunch of angry fox furs come to break your door down."
He half-groaned. "Damn rodent ruined the only time I have away from the wife. You know, you're lucky you ain't married, Doc."
"I thought it was about finding the right person." I put a fresh gauze on his neck as a precaution and began wrapping a bandage around it.
"You'd think that. Problem is - you're sure you found the right one, then a better one comes along. But you can't do anything about that."
"I see." The bandage was fastened by a stretchy clip. While the man put his overcoat back on, I wrote him a prescription of anti-nausea drugs and painkillers. "I want you to give this to the pharmacist near the entrance. Take the anti-nausea drugs, these ones, if the morphine makes you feel like you're gunna throw up. If they don't help, come back to me. Take the painkillers if you need them."
"Alright, thanks." He nodded. "Hey, you wouldn't want to go out hunting with us, would you, Doc?"
Now that was an offer that I hadn't received before. But then, killing defenceless animals for sport wasn't something I really agreed with.
"Thanks, but no thanks. I'm tied up with work. It's rare that I even get a weekend to myself."
"Oh, okay. Well... Thanks." The man left after saying his goodbyes.
Chapter 4
Work held little excitement for the rest of that day. A few minor injuries, a few cases of utter stupidity and three more patients claiming they were bitten by animals. I didn't get much work, so I stayed in my office, browsing through the web and reviewing previous patient files.
As I sat there watching an online lecture on psychology, my mobile phone rang. Al's name stood out in black on a white bar which clouded the touch-screen. I took the call and put the phone to my ear.
"This is Doctor Hendrick."
"It's Al. And stop introducing yourself like that. Makes you sound like an asshole."
"I am an asshole."
"Touché. Listen, this Leanne girl you sent me?"
Bloody hell. She's done something. And it'll be the skin off my back for it. "What about her?"
"She's been doing a great job. Tips are going in the jar like bees go to their hive."
Really? "So, why'd you call me?"
"Leanne just told me she doesn't have a place to stay. Says she's tried hotels."
"Why do I know where this is going?" I asked, rubbing the bridge of my nose, eyes closed.
"Look, bud, as far as I can see, you're the only one she trusts in this city. My eyesight may be bad, but I'm not blind."
"I don't exactly share that trust." I protested.
"Stop being a goddamn jerkoff! If you heard how bad she feels about what she did to you, your tone would change."
"You have a soft spot for women, Al. Fur women all the more. I'm just being fair at this point."
"Is fair always right?"
In the five years I'd known Al, I never knew he was capable of even the slightest bit of philosophy. But there you have it. An appeal made by a good friend for the sake of someone I perceived as a traitor. Wonderful.
I sighed heavily. "Damn you and your persistence. Fine. She can stay with me."
"Leanne will be happy to hear that."
"Just out of interest; did she put you up to this?"
"Honest to God, she didn't even ask me a favour since she came here. All she wanted was to talk, and someone to listen. That's something I'm good at."
"I feel I'm going to regret this decision."
"You won't."
Chapter 5
My shift ended at 7pm, so I was able to leave earlier than usual. The waiting room was empty when I walked past, the only person present being Judy herself. She stopped me before I even got close to the door.
"Who was that earlier, Richard?" Judy asked, fox ears poking up as a sign of curiosity.
I paused. "Ex-girlfriend. Knew her back in University."
"She pissed you off, didn't she?" Judy stood from her chair, pushing down her blouse and fluffing up her big tail in the process. It followed her around like a cloud (it was attached to her, so duh).
"Well, yeah. She pretty much dumps me, then comes back years later and asks me to find her a job." I shrugged. "Shit happens, can't change it."
"Would a hug make you feel better?" Judy stopped a few feet away from me and struck a pose, putting her paws into one fist down at belt level. For a moment I was worried her blouse buttons would explode.
"I suppose." I nodded. Not just because I thought so, but because Judy looked like she wanted to hug me. My suspicions were confirmed when she nearly pounced, pressing herself against me in a very arousing way. I eventually worked up the strength to put my arm around her too (the other was taken up by my suitcase).
We stood there for a good three minutes before I remembered I had an ex-girlfriend to pick up.
"Judy?"
"Mmm?"
"I need to go meet with someone... And your paws seem to be wandering dangerously close to my waist."
"Oh. Right." She let go and stepped back. "Sorry." It wasn't visible through the fur, but I could tell she was blushing.
"It's... Okay. I'll see you Monday, yeah?"
"Uh... Yeah. Yes, sure. Bye."
"See you."
I didn't have a car. Didn't need one. All that I owned in terms of transport was an old Harley Davidson which sat in the garage under the apartment complex where I lived. The last time I used that bike I must have been in my twenties.
My apartment wasn't that far away anyway, and walking always did wonders. It was through a small park, but any amount of vegetation was good when you lived in a big city. Just to get away from the stink of the smog was a blessing. I may sound like a hypocrite saying this as a smoker, but I really love fresh air.
At the end of the park the trees opened up to reveal part of Al's diner, a semi-modern burger joint/bar sitting in between two huge skyscrapers. What made the dwarfed restaurant stand out was the amount of businessmen and women sitting in the leather seats all around - all of them from the neighbouring office complexes. Ties loose, top buttons undone, hair allowed to fall to the sides without fear of vigorous rubbing back into its rightful place. The furs that were present also didn't mind if they were ruffled in a few places.
It was a rare sight to behold in the 21st Century. A restaurant where a person (or fur) could approach another person (or fur) and be themselves instead of hiding behind an alter-ego that fit into society. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that people are afraid of socializing, of making new friends. The pain of rejection seems a bit too extreme to try after the first defeat.
I crossed the street and mounted the triple stair step to the entrance in one long-practiced move. Warmth spilled over me as I opened the glass pane door, together with the smell of fried onions and steak. Laughter erupted from the side of the restaurant as a particularly effective joke was cracked, strengthening the already welcoming atmosphere.
I spotted Leanne darting between tables, tail waving about near the floor to prevent any hair loss into customers' food. Her biking gear was gone, replaced by a sensible waitress uniform consisting of a T-shirt and jeans, which made her look a lot better. A lot more human (I mean to say respectable). Doing my best not to be seen by her, I zig-zagged through the groups of people, ending up at the bar where Al was frying up burgers. Being a bear, he was large, but still had no trouble moving about in his small kitchen. I knew a couple of people who were sitting at the bar, and they literally welcomed me with open arms.
Soon as Al got wind of an added participant in their conversation, he turned.
"Hey Rich! How's life treating ya?" He exclaimed.
"Like a Mother-In-Law." I said, less forcefully. Al burst out laughing, as did other married men around me. I felt a grin curl on the sides of my mouth, an effect of people laughing at my banter.
"Your friend's been doing a great job, as I said before." Al nodded towards Leanne, who was exchanging a few words with one of the restaurant's clients. One hand-paw was on her waist, under which her hip stuck out, making her look like a shortened S. A smile was on her face. Although I shouldn't have, I felt happy for her.
"I'll back Al up on that. One sweet dame. Too bad I'm married." One man sighed, making Al chuckle and me grin.
"Whoa, Rich, is that a smile or are you planning to murder someone?" Al asked. I snapped out of my trance, my face falling back to the usual scowl. "Ah, nevermind. So, what'll it be?"
"Nothing tonight, Al. I just came over to ask when Leanne's shift ends."
"Technically, it ended an hour ago. But she said she's enjoying it so much, she wants to wait for you."
Al plated up the burger plus a generous serving of fries, then slid it across the bar-top to an eagerly-awaiting customer.
"Should I leave an address for her?" I asked. Al simply raised one of his big eyebrows, looking over my shoulder. I turned on the barstool, only to be greeted by Leanne, whose muzzle was as close to my face as it was back in my office. Strangely, the smell of exhaust fumes was gone.
"Al told me what you agreed to." She murmured, green eyes locked with mine. To this day I can't exactly describe what I saw in those eyes, but I can say that it was something unlike whatever I'd seen before. Then she put her arms around me in a hug.
I stiffened up, unable to move. Partly because she pinned me to the bar behind, partly because physical contact (from a woman or otherwise) was something I wasn't used to, despite my encounter with Judy only ten minutes back.
Think about it: In a reversal of roles, a man performing such a gesture would be utterly unacceptable and a slap across the face would be entirely self-explanatory. But in this position, it wasn't.
"You can let go now." I said. My mind did the talking, since the rest of me was paralyzed. Leanne complied, letting me get off the barstool and straighten my attire. "Ready to leave?"
"As ready as can be." She nodded, a smile still crossing her wolfish face. "Thanks for taking me onboard, Al."
"Y'welcome, sweetheart." Al replied.
Once outside, I began to walk down the street as I had done for the past five years. Then Leanne called after me.
"Where you going?" She asked, catching up.
"Home. Where else could I be going?" I answered.
"A damn strip joint."
"Those places stopped being amusing a while back."
"What happened to you? You were such a sweet guy in Uni. So fun to be around."
I snorted. "Really?"
"Oh for-... Look, I said I was sorry for putting you through that trauma. Can't you just get over that and let us be friends again?" Leanne took my hand in hers. I looked at it, then back at her.
"No." Pulling my hand from her grasp. "Some wounds cut too deep to ever heal."
"But-"
"But what? You said it yourself. I used to be such a sweet guy. So fun to be around. Now I'm just a cynical, unattractive, aggressive, smoking asshole. And guess why that is."
Pain welled in Leanne's face. Something in the back of my mind told me that she wasn't acting. She really did regret her decisions, and my attitude wasn't helping the situation whatsoever. I still couldn't completely fight off the feeling of being betrayed and burdened with sorrow, but a look in her eyes definitely made it weaker.
"Christ, I'm sorry." I blurted. My hand fumbled inside my pocket for the half-empty pack of Marlboros.
"I understand how you feel." She told me softly. I put a cigarette in my mouth and lit up, facing away from her to stop the smoke from going into her face. "And to tell you the truth, I never made out with any of the gang."
Carefully, I blew a cloud of blue smoke into the dark sky. "How come?"
"Your opinion of me is a lot less than I actually am." Leanne stated, taking a pack of Camels out of her bike's compartment. She rode a Harley, like me. It was completely black with two flaming skulls painted on the bodywork. Two large packs stuck out from the sides and there was a second seat on the back, meant for a passenger. "Just because I left Uni doesn't mean I didn't get an education. I worked on bikes for a long time, and my friends considered me a good engineer."
She sat on the seat and looked at me with her piercing green eyes. "But that doesn't answer your question, does it?"
"Not really." I said, tapping the cigarette to get rid of the ash.
"Well, it's not like they didn't make passes at me. But they stopped after realising I wasn't interested. I just... Didn't bond with them as I did with you." Just as the sentence finished, she realised that it was the wrong thing to say. Expecting an outburst from me, Leanne steeled herself.
But I didn't say a thing. I didn't need to.
"Will you give me another chance to restore your trust?" Leanne asked. I dropped the cigarette, even though it wasn't finished, into a small puddle. It gave a short hiss and sank below the murky surface.
"I'm stuck with you, thanks to Al. You'll just have to do your best to convince me." I said.
"Thank you. This really means a lot to me."
Chapter 6
My apartment was a large, two-storey, multiple-bedroom, multiple-bathroom palace. Most of the furniture fittings came with it - I only had to buy the living essentials and the TV to really make the house my home. It wasn't cheap, but at my salary on top of additional overtime wages, plus not much spending, I was able to afford it without having to strain.
Leanne and I rode in on her bike, with me holding the back rest on the passenger's seat. Her tail had been pressed against my stomach for the duration of the ride, bringing back some very happy and very colourful memories. I wasn't really ready for any voluntary physical contact with her, although I was sure she wouldn't mind it.
Hell, she might even have liked it.
As Leanne wheeled her bike into my garage, she spotted the cloth-covered outline of my old Harley.
"Rich?"
"Yeah?"
"Is that a bike?" Leanne was walking towards it.
"Yeah, an old Harley." I followed her.
She removed the cloth with the care a mother would remove a baby from its crib. Light shined onto the polished surface of the Harley's bodywork, highlighting a big hot rod flame. The bodywork was all chrome, all polished enough to see one's own reflection.
"This is beautiful." Leanne said. "Could I...?"
"Ride it? Yeah, why not." I shrugged nonchalantly and leaned on the wall next to the garage's entrance. "There might not be any fuel in the tank, though."
With one thrust of the ignition, the Harley roared to life, sounding very happy to be used again. Even in idle its engine rumbled like incoming thunder. Leanne let the engine die and looked at me with a curious smile.
"And you say you don't like riding this monster."
"I didn't say that. I said I liked walking."
"We need to ride out somewhere together. You look like you could use a vacation." She pushed my Harley back in its place.
I couldn't argue with her on that point. I had been working non-stop for the last four years. Rarely even taking a break, no prolonged holidays. Just because I enjoyed work. And I had nothing else to do.
"That... Sounds quite nice, actually." I agreed.
After a quick elevator trip we were in my apartment. Leanne made a very masculine gesture. She whistled, then said; "You done well for youself, buddy."
"I've been told." I locked the door, placing the key on a small hanger next to it.
"By whom?"
"Al. A few other people. Mostly acquaintances." Turning, I walked towards the kitchen. It was based on one side of the room, opposite a relaxing area on the other and a dining table in the centre. Stairs led off to both sides at the back, going up to two large bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. A lot to clean, unless it's never used. "You hungry?"
"Starved." Leanne agreed. "But before that - could I trouble you for the use of your shower?"
"Yeah. Up the stairs on the right. You got a change of clothes?"
She shook her head.
"Hmph. Come with me."
I led her up the left staircase, the one that led to my room, and flicked on the lights. A king size bed, unmade. Two wardrobes near the back wall, with some clothes drawers set into the wall itself. A plain blue shirt was the first thing I grabbed. It was a bit too big for me, but the extra chest area wouldn't hurt a woman of her calibre. Next, a new pair of jeans. Just right for her - a few sizes too big for me, again.
"Do you purposefully buy clothes that are oversized?" Leanne asked.
"Those sizes happened to fit me two years back. I guess I lost weight since then."
"I thought you looked thinner."
A pair of socks and red boxers were the last two items on the neatly folded pile. Then I paused, a thought hitting me.
"Do you need a pair of scissors to cut a hole in the jeans for your tail?"
"I... Don't want to ruin your clothes."
"To hell with that, I can get new ones." With that comment, I pulled a Swiss army knife from a drawer by my bed and gave it to her. She took hold of my wrist. I took it away.
"Richard-"
"Go take the shower. There'll be food on the table when you come down." I told her, then left.
Downstairs, I quickly made a steak and fries for her. Medium rare, if I remembered correctly. It was plated up before she finished, and I didn't feel like talking to her that particular night. So I drank a glass of milk and trudged towards the stairs to my room.
"Won't you stay with me?" I heard her ask. When I turned, I saw that the freshly showered wolf was distraught by the fact that I was leaving.
Good, see how it feels to be abandoned.
"No. I'm tired and need sleep. The bed in that room is made. Goodnight."
"Goodn-"
I slammed the door before she finished.
Undressing went slowly, since most of my neural function was taken up by thought. I was angry. Al just went and shoved this irritating dog on me. Did he not realise how much I hated her for what she did?
Or did he choose to ignore it?
In light of this, punching a bear in the face seemed like a very reasonable course of action. And then there was the wolf herself. Dump a guy who loves you with all of his heart, then come back seven years later and ask him a favour. I certainly didn't remember Leanne to be that stupid.
While I brushed my teeth, grumbling angrily, some backward piece of my conscience brought me flashbacks of the fun we had together. Those years of happiness she provided, how she made Med School that much more bearable.
I spat the thoughts out with the used toothpaste and continued brushing.
My bed was cold, as usual. It's not something I got used to, but it's something I learned to live with - like the ambulance sirens. I flicked off the light and forced myself to sleep.
Saturday, 19th October 2010
Chapter 1
The apartment was quiet when I awoke. Rain pattered on the window, the clouds it came from threatening to stay for a while. My room was gray - sad and hopeless. Like me, in a way. I didn't have any pictures on the walls, just an Iron Maiden flag my parents got me hanging above the bed.
I got out of bed, rubbing my eyes, and got dressed. The wolf would probably be hungry. Just to clarify: I wasn't going to make her breakfast out of love, but common courtesy, as should be applied to guests. However much you hate them.
With some marginally acceptable clothing on, I wandered down the stairs.
A large bay window exposed the state of the outside world to me: Miserable, wet and generally unpleasant. Rain or shine, sleet or snow, my outlook on life never changed. My routine was always the same: Wake up, eat breakfast, make lunch, go to work, work, eat lunch, work some more, come home, eat dinner, go to sleep. Then just rinse and repeat. And people asked me why I was so down all the time.
I took a carton of eggs from the fridge and placed it on the counter. Scrambled eggs were simple enough to make in my groggy state, and could be made really good with the adequate selection of spices.
While making breakfast, I listened for movement upstairs. The room Leanne was staying in is directly above the kitchen, so any footsteps were easy to pick up on. After standing there for five minutes like a retard, I realised that wolves make very little noise when they move, and wolf furs are no different. So I focused on the food instead.
To the pan I threw in a bit of butter, diced onion and diced chunks of ham, then left to fry. Smells were already drifting around the apartment as I added different spices. I had no doubt that Leanne's overly sensitive nose would lead her down to the table in the coming minutes.
I stirred the contents of the pan to make sure the onions were soft, then added a few eggs and stirred again. The bedroom door clicked and Leanne descended down the stairs, quiet and solemn. She didn't even try to greet me, just took a seat at the table and waited, tapping her claws on the wood.
After plating up, I carried the two portions to the table along with toasted slices of bread. Leanne muttered a said a quiet 'Thank you', which I chose to ignore. Sitting down on her right as to not have to face her, I started to eat.
Approximately half-way into my meal, Leanne spoke up.
"Could we talk?" She asked.
"About what?" I stared at the eggs, not giving her the slightest show of friendship.
"About us."
"There's nothing to talk about."
"But-"
"I said, there's nothing to talk about. I got over what you did, but it doesn't mean you can just barge into my life and have your status reinstated."
"So you're just going to ignore me while I'm around?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I intend to do."
Li remained quiet, eating slowly. I finished mine and took the plate to the sink, dropped it there and began to walk towards the stairs.
"What if I need to ask you something?"
"Ask all you like. Just don't expect I'll answer if I don't like the question."
Back in my study, I read through my emails, then through the medical reports of my patients as filed by Judy. Most of them were doing fine, one or two suffering from side-effects of prescribed medicine. One man passed away in his sleep - a 90-year-old prostate-cancer sufferer.
With the day's work done in a matter of thirty minutes, I resorted to placing a new edition of an advanced Medical Journal on my desk - a monster, even when compared to the Harry Potter franchise. However, I couldn't make myself open it. I knew that reading it was something I enjoyed, but I just didn't feel like doing it.
Can't explain the feeling, other than that it's strange.
I sighed and stood, walking over to my bed. Fully clothed, I lay down on it to take a nap.
Chapter 2
When I woke up for the second time, it was just past ten in the morning. As good a time as any to put on some social clothing and take Leanne out on that shopping trip I promised her.
Downstairs, the wolf was watching television with the volume set to low.
She saw me and asked, "Are you going somewhere?"
"I said I'd take you out so you can get some clothes and other living essentials. If you don't feel like going now, it's fine by me, but I'd rather get it over with."
Leanne complied with my wishes and put on her boots and hoodless biking jacket.
"Off we go." I said, following her as the exited and locking the door.
The first stop was a clothes shop down the street from my apartment building. I was in step with Leanne all the way there, but chose to keep my hood off to stop myself from looking like a Chauvinist to everyone who looked at us.
Fursona was the name of the shop. I pointed Leanne the right way and then waited at the entrance. It took a good hour and half for her to pick out what she needed and get to the till. Three pairs of jeans, seven shirts and undergarments. The grand total came out as $312.45, which was completely understandable to me. I walked over to the till and inserted my card into the scanner.
"Your husband?" The cashier asked. A female alligator fur, dressed very respectably, with a very pleasant demeanour.
"A friend." Leanne replied.
"I'd think a friend would give a friend a coat against the rain. Especially a very pretty friend."
"He offered, but I refused. I mean, he hasn't got fur to keep him warm, has he?" Leanne put on a very convincing smile, which worked on the alligator.
I tapped my pin into the keypad and pulled my phone out, dialling the apartment complex taxi. As a gesture of courtesy, I took three of the four bags and approached the exit.
"Hello?"
"Richard Hendrick here."
"Ah, yes. What can I do for you, Sir?"
"I need you to drive up to the Fursona store to pick up some shopping."
"Of course, Sir."
I hung up and put the phone away. My hand was free as I stood there, waiting. Leanne's paw found it and tried to hold, but before she could do so I curled it into a fist.
"Here's something I don't understand: You keep pushing me away, yet you're happy with spending hundreds of dollars on me."
"What of it?"
"You wouldn't do that if you hated me."
"Leanne, try to remember that I'm not your average guy. I do strange things."
"That doesn't answer my question."
"It's one thing to hate you, but another thing entirely to watch you walk around in the same set of clothes every day when you're in my home."
"So this is for you and not for me?"
"Yes."
"Then why don't you pick the clothes?"
Some luck shined upon me, because the black cab arrived. The door opened as I approached, allowing Leanne and me to place the bags inside.
"Should I drop this off at your apartment, Sir?" The driver, an old bloodhound fur with drooping eyes, asked.
"Yes, please."
"Very good, Sir."
I shut the door and turned, only to see Leanne staring right at me.
"Excuse me." I passed her. "I think I'll regret this, but I'll take you to a shoe shop next."
"If you don't mind, I'd prefer to go home."
"Uh... Sure." I turned and knocked on the cab's window. The door opened again and we got in.
Chapter 3
After a quick elevator trip, we were back in the apartment. Li dropped the bag she was carrying and spun to face me.
"Could you explain to me why you keep pushing me away again and again?" In an irritated tone.
"Explain to me why you left me first."
"I already told you - I made a mistake."
"No, that's not it. You don't just make that kind of mistake. There's a reason."
"Why do you always have to know everything!?" Leanne's voice was getting louder.
"I just want to know why the love of my life dumped me without even leaving a 'goodbye' note!" I returned the loudness.
Leanne deflected the question. "Do you even realise how bad I felt? My world collapsed around me!"
"And you think mine stayed standing!?"
"I-"
"No! You're going to stay quiet and listen! I thought I was doing well. I thought I gave you what you wanted. I tried so hard to make you happy, because you were the one person in my life that made me feel life was worth living." I took a breath. "Then I come back one night, expecting you to be there and cuddle with me and tell me that you'll always love me! You were gone! I spent weeks asking everyone I knew, all of your friends, about you!"
I reached into my pocket hard enough to hear the seams tear and yanked out a small black box, made rough with years of wear and tear.
"This is why I was back so late. I hope it shows you just what a BIG FUCKING MISTAKE YOU MADE!" I slammed the box down on the table, passed Leanne and stormed up to my room, fists clenched hard enough for my nails to draw blood.
I spent the next hour in my study, filled with regret and hatred. The hatred, however, wasn't aimed at Leanne.
The box I left contained an engagement ring I'd bought the night Leanne disappeared. I'd kept it as a reminder of her. Why, you might ask, would I do such a thing, seeing as I hated her?
Well, there's the problem.
I didn't hate her. I was angry at her for doing what she did, but I never had any true hatred for that beautiful wolf. When I found out who she was the previous day, my heart skipped a beat. Then the anger took over, making me do everything I did.
And now, that anger had dissipated, leaving me like a... Like a...
Well, you get the point.
Thunder rumbled in the distance. It was hard to hear, but it was there. And with it, came nostalgia.
I couldn't wait any longer. I stood and walked out of my room. The door to Leanne's was open, allowing me to hear her crying. Imagining what I'd see made my heart ache, but I pushed on.
Inside, the room was dark. The blinds were closed, and all I could make out was a figure with its back turned to me. It shook between raspy breaths. I walked over to the bed and sat down by Leanne. She put her arms around me and cried into my shirt. Any more and she'd have me going as well.
"Shhh, hush now. Come on, stop, you'll make me start in a minute." I whispered. Leanne quietened down but kept weeping.
"I'm s-... so s-... s-... sorry!"
"I'm sorry too."
"W-what?" It got her attention. She sat up on the bed and faced me. I put my hand on the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss.
Wolf muzzle met human mouth and made a long, passionate exchange. When I let go, it took a bit of time for her eyes to open. When they did, she smiled.
"I'm sorry for acting the way I did." I repeated. "I never hated you. I was just angry."
Leanne didn't speak - she was just happy to have me back.
"All of that's gone now. We can go back to how we used to be."
"Good. I was having a hard time holding back the flirting."
She pounced me, shoving me down on the bed and swinging one leg over to straddle my waist. Her fingers locked around my collar.
"My turn."
And cue the kiss that sucks the air right out of my lungs. While she tried to suffocate me, I held onto her ears (God, I missed playing with those.)
Luckily, Li decided she wanted to keep me around for a while longer, so she let go and straightened up. My perspective reminded me of something else.
I slid my hands around her breasts, pressing them, groping, lifting. Her eyes closed during the act, tail waving left and right.
"I have really missed the twins."
"And they've missed you."
A bit more, and I wouldn't be able to stop without her ripping my belt off. I wanted to wait a while.
"You hungry?" I asked, leaving the twins alone and propping myself up.
"Starving. A little note: Wolves are carnivores. Next time you decide to make scrambled egg for breakfast, add a steak. Like the one you made last night. Just... Please don't leave me alone like that."
"You got it."
"Oh, and another little note." Leanne took on a wolfish grin. "You're sleeping with me tonight, whether you like it or not."
"Oh, I like it. Like it very much. But first - food."
Chapter 4
"How does a chicken breast with rice sound to you?" I asked, basically speaking into a refrigerator. Leanne was trudging around my apartment, exploring.
"Hey, with your cooking skills, I'd happily try fried armadillo."
"Armadillo actually isn't that bad." I grabbed the whole packed chicken from my refrigerator and put it down on the granite tabletop of my kitchen. Once I had a sharp knife, I started carving.
"What else do you want to tell me about your life? You know, the part I missed?"
"Well, there's a very interesting part where my friends arranged a birthday party for me at the Playboy mansion."
"...You're joking, right?"
"Nope. Bunny furs have really cute pom-pom tails."
I felt sharp prodding on my buttocks. I guess that's what I get for teasing a wolf. She sneaks up and then tears me a new one.
"And I have really sharp claws. Which do you prefer?"
I put down the knife and half-turned to look at her. "Wee-el, them bunnies are really soft. And cuddly." Leanne raised an eyebrow. One of her paws moved to my crotch, her claw tapping my zipper. "But, I'd take you over a hundred bunny furs, playboy or better."
"Good decision. Thought I'd have to convince you that I'm better - right here in the kitchen."
I grinned, thumping one fist on the tabletop. "Granite. Polished and reinforced. I don't doubt your strength, but even a tough wolf named Leanne wouldn't be able to bust this kitchen. Cost me fifty grand, and it's damn worth the money."
"I'd accept your invitation to test that theory if I wasn't about to grab that chicken and eat it raw. Get cooking before I eat you."
"Yes, mistress." I laughed, going back to chopping. We didn't talk much for some reason, so I started to hum. After finishing with the chicken, I put away what was left (breast-less) in the fridge, took a deep pan out of a cupboard, filled it with water and added two bags of rice.
At the tap of a button, the stove flicked on and began to heat the water.
"Richard?"
"Mhm?"
"Do you remember that night we spent together? The very first one?"
"That left the dorm smelling of wet dog for a week?"
"I'm being serious. Mind if we reminisce for a while?"
"Hm. Sure."
***
An unusually dark night outside. Rain pattering the window, getting more and more heavy as the minutes passed. A thunderclap struck far away, judging by the delay between the flash and the hit.
I sat in my room, at my desk, reading through a medical journal I'd only just received in the mail. Big tome of knowledge, but I loved every page. I didn't have the main lights on in the dorm, only the reading lamp. Save the planet and all.
Half way through the cross section of the human skeleton, there was a knock at my door. At first I thought it was my Australian dorm mate, but then he had moved back to Australia. The administration board were in the process of pairing me up with someone - but until that decision came to a close, the dorm was all mine.
Nine in the evening, it wasn't a visitor. Unless a horny girl forgot the dorm number of her boyfriend. Or something less filthy.
Must be the admin board. Got me an alcoholic roommate, no doubt.
I put the journal down and walked down the hallway to the front door, turning the light on in the process. The door didn't have a peephole, so I just opened it.
There, dripping wet in the hallway, stood a wolf fur with red hair that I had met about a week back. Same height as me back then, so no looking up.
"Hey, Richard." She said, a little shakily.
"Leanne? What are you doing here?"
"I was hoping I could spend the night with you. Or, at least, stay for a while."
"Well... Yeah, sure. Come in."
I let her pass, closed the door and went inside the bathroom for a fresh towel. Once I got it, I gave it to her.
"Thanks for letting me stay." Li spoke from under the towel. I stood by her while she dried her hair, then brushed down her wet fur.
"Least I can do. Want something hot to drink?"
"If it's not too much trouble."
She finished with the towel and gave it back to me. Now there was a frizzly wolf fur in front of me. I couldn't suppress a snigger.
"My fur's all over the place, isn't it?" Leanne asked, sighing. "I hate rain..."
"Hey..." I brushed some ruffled fur on her cheek back down to how it was supposed to look. "A little crazy hair doesn't make you any less beautiful."
She leaned into my hand, looking at me with those piercing green eyes. "My last boyfriend never said anything like that."
"Oh, so I'm your boyfriend now?"
"I hoped you were... I mean, if you have someone else-"
"No. I don't. And I don't want anyone else."
Li smiled.
"Come on. Let's go get you that hot coco."
After hot drinks, we went to my room. Leanne sat down on the bed, still messing with her fur to get everything right.
"I thought Friday was your girls' night out." I noted, remembering Li's friends - a feline, ferret and husky. I'd never met them personally, just a few quick greetings and goodbyes. They seemed like a nice group, though.
"They went to see a late night viewing of Twilight. Not my kind of movie."
"I can relate." I nodded. "And there's the other thing."
A flash, followed by a clap of thunder. Leanne shut her eyes and shuddered.
"You're afraid of thunder." I said, slowly, carefully considering my words. She opened her eyes again and nodded. She looked ashamed.
"I've had this fear since I was a pup. Don't know why. Last boyfriend didn't care."
"Sounds like you've had a bad luck streak with guys."
I held her gaze for a moment, before she spoke again.
"Could you... Stay and cuddle with me?"
I blinked.
"Oh, stupid question. Sorry."
"No, no... I'll stay."
I sat down with her, then we lay down together. She had her back to me when the next thunderclap hit. I saw the shuddering, how horrible it was for her.
Not wanting to let her suffer any longer, I put my arm around her and pulled her close. We fell asleep there and then.
***
"And then the girls came 'round the next morning. A lot of cooing ensued, then they started singing about us in a tree. Except in the Uni version, the K-I-S-S is replaced by F-U-C-K."
I plated up the chicken and friend vegetables, plus the rice.
"I never understood why we would have sex in a tree when a bed is a lot more comfortable. And safe."
"Hey, college humour, what're ya gonna do?" Li shrugged. She had been standing behind me the whole time, listening to what I remembered and adding whatever she felt I missed. "You know, Richard, you were the first boyfriend who acknowledged my fear of thunderstorms and found a way to take my mind off it. Who knew cuddles were such a powerful distraction?"
I passed around Leanne and walked over to the table with the plates. As she went to sit down, I returned for the silverware.
"This smells gorgeous. I didn't say it before because you were telling that story so well."
"I guess my memory's just good."
We sat down to dinner. While I barely touched my portion, Leanne started wolfing (literally) hers down. At least she had the good manners to swallow before speaking.
"This is delicious! Holy hell, Rich, you haven't lost your touch!"
"Glad you like it." I thought for a second. "You wanna hear that playboy mansion story tonight?"
She stopped chewing momentarily. "I think we'd better save that for tomorrow, when I can prove to you that I can make you feel better than any damned playboy bunny."
"Ah, okay."
Although I didn't look it, I was as hungry as she was. I say this because I usually just poke at my food, nibbling away here and there until it's finished. If you looked at me, you could probably tell that I didn't eat much - a diminished frame, bones covered the remains of muscles that were very obvious a few years back. My lab coat made me look a little healthier, but under all of that I was just a ghoul.
Li slowed down once the edge was taken off the hunger, so we ended up finishing at around the same time. I stood and took the plates back while she moved to the couch, but for some reason didn't flick on the TV.
"Say," Leanne called. "do you know any good gyms nearby?"
Pushing the hot water button on my sink, I began to wash the dishes. "Second door on the left of the kitchen."
"Eh?"
I heard Li trot over to the door, open it and gasp. Back when I still did exercise, I ordered a state-of-the-art gym set and had it installed in the apartment. I never had it removed, maybe because I hoped I'd use it again in the future, or because I didn't like losing things I paid for.
"I should've guessed you work out." I said, gently putting a cleaned plate on the drying rack. "You don't exactly look like you diet all the time."
"Judging by the dusty state of these machines, I'm putting my money on the idea that you haven't been working out for at least a year." Leanne left the gym room and approached me. "Which also explains why you lost a bit of height."
I looked at her, taking in the sight I'd missed for so long. "But Wi, I wike you this way. Big scawwy wowf awways coming onto me." Speaking in an imitation of a three-year-old's voice.
"Don't worry." She giggled. "Even if you start working out again, you'll still be shorter than me."
I finished with the plates, wiped my arms on a cloth and followed her to the couch. The position I meant to sit in was with my legs on the couch, a little ways off from hugging my knees. Li had other ideas.
Once I was sitting, she crawled between my legs and lay down with her chest on my stomach. On my chest, she laced together her fingers and perched her head on them.
"Did I lie down on the remote, or are you just pleased to see me?" Li grinned, wolf fangs shining white.
"The latter, I'd say." I returned the grin.
"Let's get your mind off my tits for a moment. Remember on Spring Break when I took you down to California to meet my parents?"
I reached out and scratched Li behind her lupine ear. She closed her eyes with pleasure, also making me notice her tail - moving slowly, hypnotically from side to side.
"Yah. Meeting with a girlfriend's parents is not something a guy forgets, methinks. Your father's tiger teeth were enough of an incentive to stay with you forever, nevermind how hot you are."
"Could you tell the story, then? Since you remember it so well?"
"So, the big wolf girl wants to hear a story to lull her to sleep?"
"Woof."
"Alright, off we go."
***
I recall that particular day being one of the most pleasant on record in California. The temperature kept at a steady 16 degrees centigrade, the sun's heat being combated by a light eastern wind. Humidity was just right for everyone - furs and humans alike - meaning that nearly everyone was out on their front lawns sunbathing.
Riding at a steady speed, I followed Leanne down the road, eyes glued to her tail. It was now a year since we started dating, but I still hadn't gotten used to the big brush waving around any time she moved.
She turned into the driveway of a luxurious-looking bungalow, signalling for me to do the same. Once off her bike, she removed her helmet, allowing her hair to fall free. Silky as it was the night before when she washed it, no need for a bobble. I followed her into the driveway, immediately picking up the difference in smoothness between the road and the incline.
The bungalow was a very neutral vanilla colour, windows cleaned within an inch of their existence - clumsy cats beware. Flowers grew around the edges of the front lawn, looking like they were under the care of an expert.
I pushed the bike's parking leg down and stepped off, removing my gloves. Nerves, previously lingering in the back of my mind, swooped forward.
What if they don't like me?
What if her father doesn't approve?
What if her brother doesn't like the look of-
"She doesn't have a brother." I muttered.
"Huh?" Li turned to face me. There was a smile on her canine face, and why not? She was visiting her parents, of whom she spoke so fondly. And this was the first time she'd dragged a boyfriend with her.
I shuddered.
"You feeling okay, Rich?" She asked, walking up to me. Her gloved hands went on my temples and pulled off the helmet, probably revealing my anxious facial expression. Her next comment confirmed my suspicions. "You're scared shitless."
"Uh, yeah. It's not every day that I feel as though one wrong word will get me mauled by a big tiger. Tiger fur."
"Oh stop it. If he doesn't like you, he just won't talk to you. But he will."
I changed the subject. "Do you have a brother?"
"Well, yeah. Didn't I mention?"
"I don't think so."
"His name's Brandon. Five years younger than me, so he'll be about... What? Twenty-one?"
Just then the door opened, a big, burly tiger fur walking out.
"Li-Li!" He shouted. Leanne spun around on her heels and shouted back.
"Brandon!"
They jogged towards one another and embraced in a way only seen inside a family. On an off-note - both of their feline and canine tails were wagging. They split up, Brandon turning his attention to me.
"You must be Richard. Funny, Li said you were a horse fur in one of her emails."
Leanne coughed, embarrassed. I raised both eyebrows in surprise, then looked at my boots.
"Nope, no hooves. Sorry to disappoint."
Brandon laughed. We shook hands (and paws, in his case). "It was either horse, or hung like one. Probably the latter, now that I think about it."
"Alright! Enough of that!" Leanne said, laughing. "Where's mom and dad?"
"They just went out for a bit. Said they'd be back soon. Why don't you both come in?"
Brandon led the way inside. The first thing I saw as I entered was a long hallway, painted vanilla like the outside wall. Some family pictures hung on both walls, adding character to the warm surroundings. A full-length mirror stood on the left side, at the foot of which was a rack for shoes. A coat hanging panel was bolted to the wall to the right of the mirror - five pegs, one for each family member plus an extra for a visitor.
At the end of aforementioned hallway stood a doorway leading to what I assumed was the kitchen. The doorways on the left and right held no clues as to what lay inside.
"Mind if I take your jackets?" Brandon offered. I accepted, so did Li. I had a T-Shirt under the jacket, so everything was fine for me. On the other hand, Leanne decided to wear an overly revealing tank-top.
Brandon obviously noticed.
"So, Li, you trying to embarrass your boyfriend in front of our Dad?" He asked. Li just grinned evilly. "In case it gets real bad, there's a bag of ice in the freezer. Should clear you right up." He told me.
"Thanks. Might need that later on." I nodded.
Brandon gave us a tour of the house, pointing out where everything was. The kitchen caught my attention the most - high tech everything. Electric hobs, sink that lit up when you turned the water on, a fridge with a cooled drinks dispenser. How I'd have loved to cook something there.
After the tour, Brandon excused himself to go to the bathroom. Leanne opened the one door her brother didn't dare touch and led me into her room. A pink bed, surrounded by walls with a pink shade to them. Wooden desk with a flat-screen monitor sitting on top, attached to what was likely to be a computer. A TV planted on the wall, facing the bed.
Even a mini refrigerator for small drinks.
Leanne dived onto the bed happily, taking in the surroundings that once housed her childhood self. I stayed by the door, having made the conscious decision not to interrupt her nostalgia trip.
"Any fond memories coming back to you?" I asked.
Leanne's evil grin came back. "Oh, yah. Wonder if my vibrator's still here..."
I covered my face, whimpering into my hands. "I knew this was a mistake. Her father'll come home and I'll be standing there, crying, with a hard-on."
Leanne started laughing. The small laughter soon developed into tummy-holding bouts, which was a perfect time for me to move.
Before she knew it, I was holding Leanne by the wrists, making sure they were high above her head on the bed. Gave such a beautiful shape to her front, though.
"You think I can't control myself?" I began, getting closer and closer to her. "You think all of those times you bent over in front of me haven't changed anything? You think that time you spilled the ice-cold pepsi down your top on purpose hasn't made me resistant to your flirting?"
Leanne managed a small shrug, a smile on her muzzle.
"Well, you're right!" I launched a surprise tickle attack, my hands moving everywhere at once. Li laughed hysterically, begging me to stop. I kept going, determined to get her back for every time she made me look stupid in public.
So determined that I didn't hear the door open.
"Honey," A deep, very masculine voice murmured. "I take back what I said."
I didn't jump away from Li, just leaned on the bed with both hands.
Well, shit.
"Bu-usted." Brandon jeered.
A few seconds passed before I worked up the courage to stand up straight and turn. I did so, only to be captured and lifted off the floor by a huge tiger fur. Once satisfied, he put me back down and shook my hand. I mentioned before that fur faces are often hard to read, but the expression on Leanne's father's tiger face was unmistakeable.
Pride.
"Son, you're the first man my little pup brought here that I haven't caught making out with her."
I thought it over. "How many men are we talking about here?"
"Oh, there was Mike, Robert, Daniel..."
"Don't forget Randall!" Brandon butted in.
"Yes, there was Randall. And Henry. And Joe."
I peered over my shoulder at Leanne, who was sitting on the bed, observing the two of us.
"The number's gone up since we talked about it." I told her. She shrugged again.
"Dad never really let me get to anything other than smooching. Always kicked them out before anything else happened."
"Uh-huh." I faced her father again. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir."
"Sir? Pfah. I'm Andrew." He shook my hand. "Richard, I can safely say that my daughter hit the jackpot this time."
"I'm just a med student from Carolina."
"And he's modest."
"Aren't you forgetting someone, Andy?" A feminine voice this time - Not Leanne.
Andy face-pawed. "Damn. I'm so sorry, Lisa."
With his big paw on my back, Andy pushed me towards his wife - a wolf fur, brown hair atop fur as dark as night. Glasses were perched on the bridge of her muzzle, behind which lay a pair of magnificent green eyes. It was easy to see where Leanne got her face.
And her front (woof).
"Hello, Richard." Lisa gently shook my hand. "Leanne never got around to sending pictures of you and her together, but you're a lot more handsome than she said you were."
I tried not to look like an idiot. "Thank you."
After the formal introductions, Andy suggested that we (the boys) go outside for a while and let Li catch up with her mother. So we did, and the first thing both of them commented on was my Harley.
"That is one beautiful machine." Andy told me. "Shame, Lisa wouldn't let me have one."
"Well, you could enjoy it while I'm here." I murmured. Andy looked back over his shoulder, mild curiosity betraying his cool posture. I held out the keys.
"Richard," He laughed. "we are going to get on very well together."
I gave him the keys and watched from the front porch with Brandon as his father rode up and down the streets, whooping happily.
"If I may speak personally here for a moment. I'm really happy that you're with my sister."
"You barely even know me."
"See, that's where you're wrong. I took a lot of classes that taught me how to tell what kind of person you are just by a few minutes of observation. I'm still an amateur, but the signals you give off are very obvious."
"Like?"
"When I was taking you around the house, I noticed you held Leanne's hand. Before that, when you arrived, I watched through the window how you look at her. All I saw was adoration, commitment and above all love. And just now, when you were ticking her? She loved it, trusted you completely."
Brandon took a breath.
"All that amounts to an exceptional life partner."
"Thank you. And thank you and your family for welcoming me with open arms."
"Dad obviously likes you. You're, like, the only guy I've ever seen him hug. And mom? Well... She likes everyone. But only compliments the special ones."
Andy rode into the driveway and stepped off the bike, killing the engine in the process.
"Most fun I've had in a while. Thanks." He said, tossing me the keys. "By the way, do you know what day it is tomorrow, Richard?"
"It will be the 23rd of May. A Saturday."
"Ah. Anything else?"
"Yes, it's Leanne's birthday."
"Good man."
"Sorry about my curiosity - I'm a cat, after all - but did you get Li anything?" Brandon asked me. I led them over to the bike and reached deep inside the left bag, pulling out a rectangular black box. Careful to keep my back to the house, I opened it, revealing a silver necklace, attached to which was an Emerald pendant.
"I'm not going to ask how much that set you back. You know she would have loved anything you brought her?"
"Yeah, but I wanted to make it special this year. It's exactly one year since we met, and I'll be damned if she won't remember it. By the way, I had a flower delivery arranged for tomorrow morning. Right around breakfast, when I want to give her the pendant."
I shut the box and put it back in my bike's bag. I then took the bag and swung it over my shoulder.
"Shall we go inside?" I asked.
"Don't see why not." Andy nodded.
We had dinner as one big family, a fantastic roast made by the lady of the house. A side of beef with potatoes fried in herbs, some side dishes containing different kinds of salads. And for desert? Homemade apple pie!
Afterwards, we sat down in the living room with the television off. I should mention that the television was a 45" monster with hi-def and surround sound. The room conformed with conventions set by other areas of the house, holding the warm atmosphere with its vanilla colour scheme. There were two couches and two chairs - brown leather - Brandon sat in a chair, his parents on one of the couches. Leanne and I took the other remaining couch, she putting her head in my lap.
Gently, I stroked her hair.
"Leanne mentioned that you enjoy cooking. Is that right?" Lisa queried.
"Yes. I do most of the cooking in the dorm we share."
"He does all of it." Li corrected me, eyes closed.
"Alright, I do all of the cooking."
"Heh, Leanne never enjoyed cooking. It was just Heavy Metal bands, fast cars and big motorcycles. Isn't that right, my little pup?" Andy teased. Li took no notice.
"That's right, daddy."
"We always thought our daughter was more boyish than a lot of girls her age. At twelve, it wasn't a Barbie doll, oh no. It was an electric guitar. At thirteen it was... What's that game called? Guitar star?" Lisa asked Brandon.
"Guitar hero."
"Yes, that's right."
I looked down at the wolf lying in my lap, peaceful as can be, tail slowly moving from side to side. "You never mentioned that you play the guitar, sweetheart."
"You never asked, cupcake."
"Fair enough. I sense some irritation in your tone."
"No, you don't."
"Okay, it sounds like this little wolf is a little cranky. I think it's time we went to bed, don't you?"
"Just when I get comfortable." Li groaned. Truthfully, I didn't want to move either. But as good as sitting right there was, I was on the verge of falling asleep. We stood together, said our goodbyes and left.
Back in Leanne's room, I changed from my jeans to a pair of pyjama shorts. She, on the other hand, didn't change - just disrobed, as I noticed by her tank-top hitting the wall in front of me. I turned to look at her.
She lay with her upper body propped up on her elbows in the bed, covers drawn up to her waist. Belly-fur white as opposed to the rest of her, which was a gray colour. Naked breasts stood out neatly on her chest while she stayed there. A loving, caring, inviting smile was on her muzzle, her eyes shining out in the dim light.
"You going to stand there and drool, or come over here and cuddle with me?" Li giggled. I snapped out of it and walked over, lying down under the covers with her. Almost immediately, she pulled my shirt off.
"Won't need that."
Then she grabbed my shorts and pulled them off.
"Won't need that, either."
Her hands closed around my boxers, but I felt I needed to stop her.
"Wait, are you sure about this? What if your parents hear?"
"You ever heard the noise made when a tiger and wolf are having sex?"
I shook my head.
"Well, it's bad. Point is, my parents had the bedrooms soundproofed. And there's a strict 'Do Not Enter' policy after 10pm. You have absolutely nothing to worry about."
"If you put it that way..."
***
I stopped telling the story when Leanne let out one massive yawn. My watch claimed that it was half past one in the morning, so no wonder she was tired.
"Aww, why'd you stop?" She asked. We hadn't moved since I started talking, but somehow my trouser snake had gone to sleep.
"You looked like you were tired. I can't really carry you upstairs, so I thought it would be easier if we just went up before you fell asleep on me."
"Oh, okay. If you don't like me sleeping on top of you."
"You know how much I loved it. My back's just starting to ache from this armrest."
Li pushed herself to a kneeling position and stretched, giving me another marvellous view of her chest.
I seized the opportunity to get off the couch and jog upstairs.
"Wher're ya goin'?" She called after me.
"Shower! I'll be out in Ten!"
On the way through my room, I picked up a fresh pair of boxers and my pyjamas. Then into the bathroom and under the hot water.
Showers usually give me time to think. What those thoughts are focused on depends on what happened during the day. If it was something worth thinking about, then so I would think about it. If nothing significant took place, I'd just ponder on some other thing that needed pondering.
Right now the hottest topic (in more ways than one) was the wolf fur in my home. Did I make the right decision letting her in? Backtrack, was it right to even help her? I guessed it would all depend on how the days rolled on, but the sadness Leanne displayed was genuine. I could tell because it made my heart ache to see her in such a state.
There wasn't much difference between the Leanne I knew now and the Leanne I knew seven years back. The years had been very kind to her - there was no sign of aging on her at all, and nature even decided to throw in an extra cup size.
Not that I'm complaining.
The little voice in the back of my head was whispering to me that what I did was stupid. But then, that voice wasn't my conscience, it was my logic. But then, Leanne's actions didn't really amount to anything logical (at least for me). There was something off about her just showing up. Sure, she was sad and lonely, but there was also something else.
I couldn't put my finger on it.
Having showered, I exited the bathroom. Nostalgia hit me immediately.
Leanne was in the same pose she struck the night she took me to meet her parents. It was a little different this time - bigger wolf.
"Want to... Cuddle?" She asked.
Didn't need to answer. I got in the bed with her, and she removed my clothing piece by piece. Then she surprised the hell out of me.
Grabbing me by the wrists and holding them above my head, Li essentially replicated the pin manoeuvre I'd performed on her years back. Except she was going to continue it differently.
I already felt the warmth she radiated under the covers.
"You know how hard it is to go without sex for seven years?" She asked me, giving me a hickey on the neck. Her teeth prodded the flesh, making me gasp and stiffen up.
"Pretty difficult, I assume. Especially for a woman like yourself." I whispered.
"You're damn right. Know what that means?"
"You're hornier than a bunny in heat?"
"That too. But mainly that you're not leaving this bed until you fuck me into a coma. Understood?"
"Yes, my darling."
"Good."